GOAT Celebrates Air Max Day With the Best Air Max Releases of 2021
34 years of walking on “Air.”
To commemorate Air Max Day, Nike’s annual celebration of the iconic cushioning technology, GOAT is paying homage by highlighting several new Air Max styles that have been released so far this year. Air Max Day 2021 celebrates the 34th anniversary of the Nike Air Max silhouette and the birth of “Air” pocket insertions into this special shoe by showcasing this series of new Air Max editions, which honor the line’s historical significance and transforms it into something even cooler. Like the Air Max 90 “Bacon” from 2004, originally created in partnership withDave Ortiz and Chris Keefe‘s now-shuttered Dave’s Quality Meat, the DQM x Nike Air Max 90 “Bacon” brings back one of the most iconic Air Max 90 colorways ever. Achieving this level of cultural importance goes to show how impactful the Air Max line has been to Nike’s legacy, allowing creatives and sneaker enthusiasts alike to develop a true personal connection to each shoe and the beauty is that everyone is drawn to a certain shoe for their own particular reasons, making the love for Air Maxes a universal and individualistic one at the same time. With a total of six new models, in addition to the “Bacon”, having hit the shelves already this year, here’s a GOAT primer on all the latest-released Air Maxes ahead of Air Max Day 2021.
DQM x Air Max 90 “Bacon” 2021
Release Date: March 26, 2021
Lowest Price: $316 USD
Originally released in 2004 as a collaboration with Dave’s Quality Meat, the Nike Air Max 90 “Bacon” features a highly coveted, food-inspired colorway. For the 2021 reissue of the DQM x Nike Air Max 90 “Bacon,” the sneaker brings back an off-white leather base with red suede overlays, a pink leather Swoosh and brown TPU accent. The distinct colors remind fans of strips of bacon, which represents the butcher shop aesthetic of Dave Ortiz and Chris Keefe’s legendary NYC sneaker boutique.
CLOT x Air Max 1 “Kiss of Death” 2021
Release Date: February 27, 2021
Lowest Price: $259 USD
The Nike Air Max 1 “Kiss of Death” is a special collaboration with CLOT, which was first released to fans in 2006. This sneaker with retro styling features a deconstructed tan suede upper with transparent paneling on the toe box and a Swoosh with a unique scaly texture. CLOT’s logo is featured as an orange detail on the red backdrop on the heel overlay. Inside the shoe, a reflexology-inspired graphic presents a hidden multicolor element.
Air VaporMax EVO NRG “Collector’s Closet”
Release Date: February 25, 2021
Lowest Price: $221 USD
Designed to capture the best moments of Air Max history in a single pair of sneakers, Nike Air VaporMax EVO NRG “Collector’s Closet” pulls design details from a wide array of sources. Featuring styles from seven different Air Max models, this sneaker has mismatched uppers with different prints, colors and textures. The left shoe features elements from the “Warhawk” and “Moon Landing” Air Max 90, OG “Royal” Air Max 1 and CDG Air Max 180; and the right shoe features elements from the “Snakeskin” Air Max 98, “Wotherspoon” Air Max 1/97 and OG “Hyper Blue” Air Max Plus.
Air Max 90 “St. Patrick’s Day”
Release Date: March 12, 2021
Lowest Price: $250 USD
Celebrating March 17, Nike Air Max 90 “St. Patrick’s Day” features a festive colorway with multiple shades of green. The breathable white mesh upper features Pine Green leather overlays and a shamrock-embossed mudguard on the sides. Accents of Mean Green create some contrast on the shoe’s anterior eyelets, polyurethane midsole with signature Air sole cushioning under the heel, and key details like the Nike branded heel patch.
Wmns Air Max 90 “Love Letter”
Release Date: March 3, 2021
Lowest Price: $177 USD
To give fans a way to wear their heart on their feet, Nike women’s Air Max 90 “Love Letter” is a love-inspired pink and red sneaker. The pastel colorway features an upper with a white leather base with pink suede overlays. To complement the upper, a bold red leather Swoosh runs along the side of the shoe. This “Love Letter” sneaker also includes unique heart-shaped eyelets and icons on the Nike Air branding on the molded heel patch, and a snap-button Nike tag that opens up to reveal a hidden love message.
Air Max 95 NDSTRKT “Neon”
Release Date: January 8, 2021
Lowest Price: $138 USD
The Nike Air Max 95 NDSTRKT ‘Neon’ beefs up the classic lifestyle sneaker with an extra-durable design. Starting with the laces, which are enhanced with reflective neon webbing straps, this Air Max 95 is full of details to help fans handle the elements. The mesh upper is reinforced with rubberized overlays, then a molded TPU cage runs across the midfoot. To finish off this shoe, the outsole contains a modified traction pattern for a variety of terrains.
